At 10-and-a-half years old, Nico collects Bop-Its, Sing-a-ma-jigs, and chiming clocks. He loves to jump on the trampoline, practice his keyboard, and play with his little brother, Noah.
He’s also proudly blind.
When Nico was six months old, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. The tumors damaged his optic nerves. While undergoing chemotherapy, Nico lost his vision. Mom shares, “For me, he was responding to treatment, and he was in less pain. He lost his sight, but we continued to have vision for his future. He’s a healthy boy with lots of character traits – blind is just one of them.”
The day after Nico lost his vision, Mom discovered FSDB.
Nico and his family live in central Florida. On the weekends, they participate in virtual events from the FSDB Outreach Department like the Virtual Interactive Learning Series. Outreach sends students books, foods, and activities that engage their minds and senses. All of this is funded by our wonderful donors.
“I love being able to go through the bags and use the Braille labels to tell my family about the project,” Nico says.
He also gets to experience new things with his friends.
Since the start of the series, Nico has become more independent. He does chores and knows how to make basic food items. “He enjoys reading braille and using his other senses to experience the world. He knows that anything is possible with practice,” says Mom.
Nico and his family are grateful for the FSDB Outreach Department and donors.
“Helping our kids starts with a connection, then education, and then funding. None of these accommodations are possible without funding. As parents of one sighted and one non-sighted child, we thank you for supporting all families like ours” – Nico's mom
Story by Morgan Hutchison, FSDB Advancement Department
About FSDB
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind is a tuition-free state public school in historic St. Augustine, available to eligible pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deafblind. The FSDB experience gives students the edge to do more, be more, and achieve more, fulfilling our vision of preparing them for a lifetime of success. Early intervention and outreach services are also available throughout the state of Florida. Private donations help to support programs that directly benefit students which are not covered by state funds. To inquire about enrollment, contact Parent Services at 904-827-2212 or 904-201-4527 VP. To schedule a campus tour, contact Outreach Services at bit.ly/fsdbtours. For more information, visit fsdbk12.org.
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